The idea of pairing Mary Chapin Carpenter and Shawn Colvin sounded like a great show: Two voices, strong music and a bunch of hits.

But the pair’s show Sunday at Musikfest Café had three significant problems: The two rarely sang together. They played acoustic on single guitars.

And they played no hits. Literally none.

Mary Chapin Carpenter

No “Passionate Kisses,” “Down at the Twist and Shout” or “Shut Up and Kiss Me” from Carpenter. No “Sunny Came Home” from Colvin.

Instead, the 18 songs they offered in an hour-and-40-minute show included eight covers and 10 new or lesser-known tunes. The songs they did play were stripped of any of the music that made them exciting and the singing was mostly mediocre.

“When we sit around and hang, we don’t play our own songs,” Colvin said. “We play them enough.”

Well, how arrogant is that? The idea isn’t for the singer to please herself – it’s to please the audience. And a sold-out crowd of 650 paid $49 and $59 to hear those hits.

And the fact the new songs both played – they each have new albums coming out soon – were among the weakest in the set should tell them that they’re not getting any more popular from new music. Truth is, Colvin and Carpenter should be happy to trade on their hits because neither has had one this century.

Shawn Colvin

The opening cover of Donavan’s “Catch the Wind,” which is on Colvin’s on her new disc, was a weak song sung weakly. “I Have a Need for Solitude,” from Carpenter’s last album, and even her lesser-known “This Shirt” were no better. Nor “Change is on the Way” from Colvin’s new disc, which she sang alone.

Most of the covers, which they at least did as duets, similarly fell flat. Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Only Boy Living in New York,” “Four Seasons in One Day” by Neil Finn from Crowded House. Tom Waits’ “Hold On,” sung mostly by Colvin, was marginally better.

It didn’t help that those songs were sung without life, as if somnambulant recitations instead of performances.

The best of the covers was Richard Thompson’s “Keep Your Distance,” which not only was sung strongly, but was written as a song for guitar and voice. An impromptu, short version of James Taylor’s “Sweet Baby James” worked for all the same reasons (Carpenter told a story of being star-stricken by singing with Taylor on her new CD).

But it was no coincidence that many of the best songs of the night were the solo songs that were nearest to hits.

Colvin’s “Another Long One,” which she sang alone, had some passion. Carpenter’s “Come On Come On,” which she sang alone – slow and deliberately, literally whispered at some parts – got a big cheer, and should have. And her “Grand Central Station,” performed similarly, was stronger, with nice guitar.

Even better were Colvin’s “Round of Blues,” with its stronger singing, and her “Shotgun Down the Avalanche,” on which both played guitar and Colvin sang particularly well.

But by far the night’s best was Carpenter’s “The Hard Way,” which – also no coincidence -- actually was a Top 10 song. They sang it as a real duet – two voices, exchanging on verses and phrases. It made you wonder how good the concert could have been with hits sung like that.

The encore of Steve Earle’s “Someday” also worked – again because it was a song intended for voice and guitar and was sung as a true duet. They closed with Lefty Frizzell’s “That’s the Way Love Goes,” which Colvin called “the best love song we know.”

Really? How about “Passionate Kisses”?

If, as Colvin said, they really are tired of singing their hits, it's time for them to quit and stop taking money from audiences expecting to hear them

Particularly galling was that Colvin told a story about how she sang “Sunny Came Home” for a stadium crowd of 18,000 people with Taylor Swift at the Berks County native’s request.

Hey John, sounds like you should've come to LLM instead - Writers in the Round was a fabulous show last night ;-) [not to mention only $10]. All kidding aside, we would've been at the MCC/SC show if we hadn't something going on. "This Shirt" is one of the best written songs we've ever heard and most long-time fans of Chapin love it. I was surprised to hear there wasn't a bigger reaction to that one. I've seen her play many, many times and don't know that I've ever heard that one live.

Wow! i'm wondering if you're really a Mary Chapin fan or just someone who knows her 'hit'(i.e. commercial) songs. I am a long time fan and was thrilled to hear her do songs that she rarely performs including "come on, come on" and "this shirt". her "solitude" song is also lovely! The audience that I was part of seemed very appreciative of the musical choices and long term Chapin fans do not judge her success by her commercial 'hits'!

Posted By: coops | May 1, 2012 10:47:37 AM

Perhaps because I'm a fan of MCC and SC, I was enchanted with the concert. I'm a real fan of Mary Chapin to the point of driving 500 miles to hear and see her live and would not hesitate to drive down to Wolf Trap. I loved the venue and the tone of the whole concert, especially MCC's last song as a true duet with SC. I have been following MCC since her debut on ACL in 1988 or 1989 with Nanci Griffith and the Indigo Girls (a rare concert almost impossible to find)and never had before the opportunity to see her live (she has never been to Canada that I know). All in all, I consider it a great performance, very intimate almost as being only a few with MCC and SC in their studio or their veranda.

Posted By: Daphne | May 4, 2012 8:55:46 PM

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"and was the only newspaper writer given access to the Jonas Brothers for a day."

That explains a lot.

Posted By: Dan | May 29, 2012 4:29:40 PM

John, you apparently know little to nothing about music. Artists aren't dancing monkeys who perform at your will. If you want to hear their hits, get a radio or an iPod. Chapin and Shawn are both phenomenal in concert, and if you didn't catch that, you should be delivering the paper, not writing for it.

Posted By: Sparky | May 30, 2012 11:29:46 AM

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Thank you for this pertinent review. The self indulgent duo are soon to perform in Dublin, Ireland. From the vague, imprecise description of their agenda given by the promoters here I had a deeply unpleasant feeling in my waters that this * concert * would be a major disappointment to punters like myself. Your review confirms my unease and has saved me 160 euros, and a lot of annoyance. Thanks again

Posted By: victor kuss | Aug 16, 2012 11:30:39 AM

I'm counting down till I see them in the UK. And so excited to hear the TRUE GEMS - the hits rarely are the real deep gems, will be sung. I'd pay the admission price just to hear, "This Shirt," add in, "I have a need for solitude," "Come on Come on" and "Grand Central Station" HEAVEN IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER

Posted By: Peter | Sep 16, 2012 3:33:52 PM

Very disappointing Shawn/ Mary concert at the Sage, Gateshead last night. Self satisfied, monotonous renditions with self pitying comments between Would have left at the interval had there been one. Music to send you into depression.

Posted By: Penny | Oct 16, 2012 4:08:10 AM

Yep,I concur the remarks about the concert at the sage last night. The concert was littered with cover versions, people wanted to hear more from their catalogue I'm sure. The show was pedestrian to say the least, my missus nearly fell asleep.
An hour and a half it was all over, every one left in silence, such a shame, they are so talented but it did not work for me and in the end found it slightly depressing.b

Posted By: Graham | Oct 19, 2012 4:40:23 AM

Undortunately, I must agree with the last few comments after seeing the show in Edinburgh last night! It was purely indulgent on behalf of Shawn Colvin who actually sang more songs than Mary! Mary only sang three of her old songs, this Shirt , I did it the hard way, fab! I love all her songs not just the commercial ones and I would like to point out that hits are hits for a reason - we like them! And as Mary only tours in the UK every two years, I do not think it is unreasonable to expect to hear some songs that made us fall in love with MCC all those years ago, and we should not be criticised. I think the song choices could've been more balanced and I was really annoyed that there wasn't an old favourite in the encore! Wise choice Victor, I did make the same decision about Dublin but a good friend offered me a ticket for Edinburgh so I travelled from Ireland, I still enjoyed it, Edinburgh is wonderful, but will not go back to see the pairing again! Bad choice of songs, guitar playing by Shawn too indulgent, she is a lovely lady but not in the same league as MCC! Sorry Shawn fans! If they want to sing those songs, do it on their own front porch!

Posted By: Una | Oct 20, 2012 3:34:46 PM

I saw them in Birmingham U.K. Good music, a few laughs and I would happily pay to see them together again, I thought the point was to see them together and listen to some of the stuff they liked to play, it was supposed to be intimate , and it was , some old stuff and some new. If they had just done their old standards, people would have complained that they were not singing anything new and the show was nothing different.
Lesser known song “This Shirt”…not if you’re an MCC fan…
I loved their covers it was a good set and an excellent and enjoyable evening, so many people enjoyed it there was a queue to buy their CD’s on the way out, can’t wait for them to tour again, they can't all be wrong...

Posted By: Soo | Oct 22, 2012 9:28:07 AM

Well I have just come home from the London concert, rarely have I been so disappointed in a concert....wonderful artists....but oh so so depressive...matched the London fog! wife swears dont take me again....I love their music. I have seen others team up with greater success...if you are going to do this then please please give the audience something to feel happy about.

Posted By: Mike | Oct 22, 2012 6:51:25 PM

Just returned from the concert in Cambridge that is ending the tour. Took my 16 and 13 year old. Their 'good concert' comments were, I think, really generous. I can't add a lot to the comments above.

For some reasons, the pair in harness just didn't work at all for me. Nobody sang along (not for everyone but at a sold Shawn concert there will be plenty of this), Mary was sharing some serious stuff about her life but it veered a little into therapy almost at times.

I suspect that having some SC and some MCC fans (and a few of both) ends up splitting the 'vote' in the concert.

Really strange. Hard to put my finger on the exact problems above what has been said already, but was reassured to find my misgivings were not isolated.

Posted By: Richard | Oct 23, 2012 6:43:15 PM

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JOHN J. MOSER has been around long enough to have seen the original Ramones in a small club in New Jersey, U2 from the fourth row of a theater and Bob Dylan's born-again tours. But he also has the number for All-American Rejects' Nick Wheeler on his cell phone, wrote the first story ever done on Jack's Mannequin and hung out in Wiz Khalifa's hotel room.

OTHER CONTRIBUTORS

JODI DUCKETT: As The Morning Call's assistant features editor responsible for entertainment, she spends a lot of time surveying the music landscape and sizing up the Valley's festivals and club scene. She's no expert, but enjoys it all — especially artists who resonated in her younger years, such as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Tracy Chapman, Santana and Joni Mitchell.

KATHY LAUER-WILLIAMS enjoys all types of music, from roots rock and folk to classical and opera. Music has been a constant backdrop to her life since she first sat on the steps listening to her mother’s Broadway LPs when she was 2. Since becoming a mother herself, she has become well-versed on the growing genre of kindie rock and, with her son in tow, can boast she has seen a majority of the current kid’s performers from Dan Zanes to They Might Be Giants.

STEPHANIE SIGAFOOS: A Jersey native raised in Northeast PA, she was reared in a house littered with 8-tracks, 45s and cassette tapes of The Beatles, Elvis, Meatloaf and Billy Joel. She also grew up on the sounds of Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks and Tim McGraw and can be found traversing the countryside in search of the sounds of a steel guitar. A fan of today's 'new country,' she digs mainstream/country-pop crossovers like Lady Antebellum and Sugarland and other artists that illustrate the genre's diversity.